Yuriorkis Gamboa

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Gamboa and the second or maternal family name is Toledano.

Yuriorkis Gamboa
Statistics
Real name	Yuriorkis Gamboa Toledano
Nickname(s)	El Ciclon de Guantánamo
Rated at	Featherweight
Height	5 ft 5 1⁄2 in (1.66 m)
Nationality	Cuban
Born	December 23, 1981 (1981-12-23) Guantánamo
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	21
Wins	21
Wins by KO	16
Losses	0
Draws	0

Amateur medal record
Men's Boxing
Competitor for Cuba
Olympic Games
Gold	2004 Athens	Flyweight
World Amateur Championships
Bronze	2005 Mianyang	Featherweight
Pan American Games
Gold	2003 Santo Domingo	Flyweight
Central American and Caribbean Games
Bronze	2006 Cartagena	Featherweight
World Cup
Silver	2005 Moscow	Featherweight

Yuriorkis Gamboa Toledano (born December 23, 1981) is a Cuban professional boxer who, as an amateur boxer, won an Olympic gold medal in the flyweight division at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He is the former WBA and IBF Featherweight Champion, being stripped of both titles. Gamboa's younger brother is fellow professional boxer Yoelvis Gamboa.

Amateur highlights

• Four-time Cuban national champion
• 2003 Pan American Games gold medalist
• 2004 Olympic gold medalists
• 2005 World Amateur Boxing Championships bronze medalist
• 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games bronze medalist
• 2006 World Cup champion

Gamboa's 2004 Olympic Boxing results were:

• Round of 32 - Defeated Igor Samoilenco of Moldava – PTS (46-33)
• Round of 16 - Defeated Somjit Jongjohor of Thailand – PTS (26-21)
• Quarterfinals - Defeated Georgy Balakshin of Russia – PTS (26-18)
• Semifinals - Defeated Rustamhodza Rahimov of Germany – PTS (20-11)
• Gold Medal Match - Defeated Jérôme Thomas of France – PTS (38-23)

Defection

While training in Venezuela, Gamboa, along with Cuban teammates Odlanier Solis and Yan Barthelemy, snuck out of camp and found their way to Colombia and eventually to Germany, where they applied for visas to enter the United States. Before defecting, he had sold his Olympic gold medal to support his family.

Professional career

Debut in Germany

Gamboa made his professional boxing debut on April 27, 2007, in Hamburg, Germany against Alexan Manvelyan. He prepared for his pro debut and his next seven fights with technical specialist Manny Masson. Gamboa put Manvelyan on the canvas in the third round and won via a unanimous decision victory. Two months later, he defeated Araik Sachbazjan by fourth round technical knockout.

Debut in the USA

After winning his first four fights in Germany, Gamboa made his United States debut on October 30, 2007, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, against Adailton De Jesus. De Jesus was dropped to the canvas halfway through the first round. A Gamboa slip in the fourth round was ruled a knockdown by the referee. Gamboa's relentless pressure eventually forced a stoppage in the sixth and final round.

Gamboa fought Gilberto Luque on January 5, 2008, at Bally's Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Gamboa sent his opponent to the canvas less than 30 seconds into first round with a left hand. After two more knockdowns, the referee stopped the fight. On February 22, 2008, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he made his American television debut against Johnnie Edwards. Gamboa knocked Edwards down in the first 30 seconds of the fight after connecting with a left hand to the head. Edwards got up, but was met with left-hand punches from Gamboa, ending with two consecutive right hands that knocked Edwards down for the second and final time as the referee moved in and halted the fight in round one. Gamoba won the vacant NABF super featherweight title.

On May 17, 2008, at Buffalo Bill's Star Arena in Primm, Nevada, Gamboa fought Darling Jimenez. Gamboa started off well in the first three rounds of the fight, swarming Jimenez and hitting him with punches over and over. Gamboa looked flustered in the fourth round and began showing signs of fatigue. He got careless and was knocked down by a right hand behind the ear from Jimenez. Gamboa got up and finished the fight strong, winning by unanimous decision and claiming the vacant WBC International super featherweight title. After the fight, Gamboa’s promoter Ahmet Öner fired his trainer Osmiri Fernandez, replacing him with Ismeal Salas. On July 18, 2008, stepping down to featherweight, Gamboa scored a first-round technical knockout victory over Al Seeger to win the vacant WBO NABO featherweight title in a fight that took place at Buffalo Bill's Star Arena in Primm, Nevada. A left hook to the body set up a right hand that landed across Seeger's face, causing him to collapse backwards flat onto the canvas. The referee stepped over Seeger without bothering to count, officially stopping the bout.

On October 5, 2008, Gamboa stepped up in class, yet again, and fought Marcos Ramirez, a Kansas City featherweight in Temecula, California. Gamboa exhibited amazing hand speed and quick combination punching in the first round before he was dropped by Ramirez. Gamboa quickly came to his feet and resumed fighting until the bell rang to signify the end of the round. In the second round, Gamboa picked up where he left off and knocked Ramirez down with a fast right uppercut, followed by another combination. Ramirez let the referee administer the eight count before rising to his feet. Gamboa then finished the fight by pressuring Ramirez into the ropes and landing a left hook to the body, followed by a right uppercut to the jaw. Gamboa's next fight took place at Buffalo Bill's Star Arena in Primm, Nevada on January 9, 2009 against Roger Gonzalez. Gamboa used quick combinations from the beginning of the third round to relentlessly attack Gonzalez. Gamboa began his assault after going down during the second round, after absorbing a sneaky right hand by Gonzalez. The referee halted the one-sided bout with 48 seconds remaining after Gonzalez sustained a barrage of punches to the head. Gamboa led 89–82 on one judge's scorecard and 89–83 on the other two judges' cards through nine rounds.

On February 20, 2009, Gamboa fought Walter Estrada at The University Center at Nova Southeastern University. Gamboa knocked out Estrada with a left hook to the body followed by a right hand to the face 25 seconds into the fight.

Featherweight

On April 17, 2009 Gamboa stopped Jose Rojas via 10th-round TKO to win the Interim WBA featherweight title. On October 10, 2009 Gamboa stopped Whyber Garcia in the fourth round to win the WBA Featherweight Championship.

On January 23, 2010, at the WaMu Theater in Madison Square Garden in New York City, he defeated Rogers Mtagwa in two rounds. Gamboa had a very dominating first round. He buzzed Mtagwa several times from several angles and scored a knockdown in the final ten seconds with a counter hook. He continued the damage in the second round, battering Mtagwa and sending him down two more times before the fight was stopped.

On March 27, 2010 at Hamburg, Germany Gamboa dominated Argentinian boxer Jonathan Victor Barros in twelve rounds to retain the WBA featherweight title with a unanimous decision.

On September 11, 2010 Gamboa fought Orlando Salido to unify the WBA and IBF Featherweight Championships with the result being Gamboa winning by unanimous decision. Salido knocked down Gamboa in the eighth round. Gamboa knocked Salido down in the 12th round, but was docked two points for hitting Salido in the back of his head while Salido was down. With this win Gamboa became the first Cuban boxer to hold the IBF world title since the organization's inception.

On March 26, 2011 Gamboa fought Jorge Solis to defend his WBA featherweight title. Although the fight was originally agreed to set under dispute both of Gamboa's WBA and IBF featherweight titles at the moment, it was early in the day of the fight after Gamboa had missed a mandatory re-weighing procedure established by the IBF that his chance to defend it was annulled, as well as Solis's chance to claim it in case he had defeated Gamboa. The fight lasted only four rounds as Gamboa after having fought a relative conservative first round decided to control the pace of the fight sending Solis to the floor a total of five times and causing referee David Fields to stop the fight, giving Gamboa the victory by TKO just after Gamboa had connected several unanswered punches as Solis looked hurt against the ropes. After the fight, Gamboa was interviewed, a moment that Gamboa took advantage of to express his awareness and support towards the victims of Japan's latest earthquake and Tsunami. Gamboa also took the opportunity to proclaim his desire to fight higher caliber featherweight boxers such as Indonesian Chris John and Puerto Rican Juan Manuel Lopez, who was attending the fight as a spectator and decided to come up to the ring and proclaim his desire for a possible fight with Gamboa as he also made the observation that it was a business decision to be taken by their shared promoter Bob Arum.

On September 10, 2011 Gamboa fought Daniel Ponce de León in a non-title fight at the featherweight division. Gamboa managed to connect more punches in each and every round keeping the score cards in his favor from the start. Although there were not many exchanges, Gamboa's hand speed and reflexes were on display as he connected with quick and short combinations and managed to avoid some of de León's left swings with his characteristic upper body swing move. In the eighth round, during a short exchange, Gamboa and de León accidentally clashed heads, as a result de León suffered a cut in his forehead, consequently the referee stopped the fight and asked de León's corner to check the boxer's wound. After having tried and failed to stop the bleeding it was determined by de León's team that their fighter was unable to continue in the fight.

Lightweight

Brandon Rios and The Ring's No. 1-rated unbeaten featherweight Gamboa will meet for the vacant WBA lightweight title on April 14 in an HBO-televised clash from the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas.

Professional Record

Result	Record	Opponent	Date	Result	Time	Location	Notes
		Brandon Rios	02012-04-14 April 14, 2012	- ? (?)		Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada	For vacant WBA Lightweight title.
Win	21-0	Daniel Ponce de León	02011-09-10 September 10, 2011	TD 8 (12)		Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	20-0	Jorge Solis	02011-03-26 March 26, 2011	TKO 4	1:31	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA	Retained WBA Super Featherweight title. IBF title at stake only for Solís, Gamboa loses title due to skipping mandatory reweigh-in.
Win	19-0	Orlando Salido	02010-09-11 September 11, 2010	UD 12	3:00	Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA	Retained WBA (Super) and won vacant IBF Featherweight titles.
Win	18-0	Jonathan Victor Barros	02010-03-27 March 27, 2010	UD 12	3:00	Hamburg, Germany	Retained WBA Featherweight title.
Win	17-0	Rogers Mtagwa	02010-01-23 January 23, 2010	KO 2	2:35	New York City, New York	Retained WBA World Featherweight title.
Win	16-0	Whyber Garcia	02009-10-10 October 10, 2009	TKO 4	0:58	New York City, New York	Retained WBA World Featherweight title.
Win	15-0	Jose Rojas	02009-04-17 April 17, 2009	TKO 10	1:31	Primm, Nevada	Won Interim WBA Featherweight title.
Win	14-0	Walter Estrada	02009-02-20 February 20, 2009	KO 1	0:35	Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Win	13-0	Roger Gonzalez	02009-01-09 January 9, 2009	TKO 10	2:12	Primm, Nevada
Win	12-0	Marcos Ramirez	02008-10-04 October 4, 2008	KO 2	1:41	Temecula, California
Win	11-0	Al Seeger	02008-07-18 July 18, 2008	TKO 1	2:30	Primm, Nevada	Won vacant WBO NABO Featherweight title.
Win	10-0	Darling Jimenez	02008-05-17 May 17, 2008	UD 10	3:00	Atlantic City, New Jersey	Won vacant WBC International Super Featherweight title.
Win	9-0	Johnnie Edwards	02008-02-22 February 22, 2008	TKO 1	1:34	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	Won vacant NABF Super Featherweight title.
Win	8-0	Gilberto Luque	02008-01-05 January 5, 2008	TKO 1	1:54	Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	7-0	Adailton de Jesus	02007-10-30 October 30, 2007	TKO 6	0:35	Hollywood, Florida
Win	6-0	Samuel Kebede	02007-10-19 October 19, 2007	TKO 2	2:11	Berlin, Germany
Win	5-0	Nestor Hugo Paniagua	02007-09-21 September 21, 2007	KO 1	1:05	Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Win	4-0	Thomas Hengstberger	02007-09-02 September 2, 2007	TKO 1	1:04	Berlin, Germany
Win	3-0	Joel Mayo	02007-07-06 July 6, 2007	TKO 2	0:35	Hamburg, Germany
Win	2-0	Araik Sachbazjan	02007-06-16 June 16, 2007	TKO 3	-	Ankara, Turkey
Win	1-0	Alexan Manvelyan	02007-04-27 April 27, 2007	UD 4	3:00	Hamburg, Germany

Trainers

On October 26, 2011, Gamboa hired world-famous Emanuel Steward as his head trainer.

External links

• Yuriorkis Gamboa's Official Site
• Amateur record
• Professional boxing record for Yuriorkis Gamboa from BoxRec

Preceded by Chris John as Champion	WBA Featherweight Champion June 27, 2009 – September 11, 2010 Regular Title until July 14, 2010 Promoted	Vacant Title next held by Jonathan Victor Barros as Regular Champion
Vacant Title last held by Chris John as Super Champion	WBA Featherweight Champion Unified Title September 11, 2010 – June 11, 2011 Stripped	Vacant
Preceded by Orlando Salido	IBF Featherweight Champion September 11, 2010 – March 26, 2011 Stripped	Vacant Title next held by Billy Dib